Sri Venkateswara Temple

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India /Andhra Pradesh /Chittoor /Tirumala

S Mada St, Tirumala, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh 517504 Edit

Detail InformationEdit

Sri Venkateswara Temple, the ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkatachala (Venkata Hill) of the Tirupati Hill, and lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini. It is by the Lord’s presidency over Venkatachala, that He has received the appellation, Venkateswara (Lord of the Venkata Hill). He is also called the Lord of the Seven Hills. The temple of Sri Venkateswara has acquired unique sanctity in Indian religious lore. The Sastras, Puranas, Sthala Mahatyams and Alwar hymns unequivocally declare that, in the Kali Yuga, one can attain mukti, only by worshipping Venkata Nayaka or Sri Venkateswara.

Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Tirumala

HistoryEdit

There is ample literary and epigraphic testimony to the antiquity of the temple of Lord Sri Venkateswara. Sri Venkatachala Mahatyam is the most accepted legend with respect to Tirumala and provides the history of the temple across the various Yugas. The temple has its origin from various yugas which we discuss in our coming post “Origin of Tirumala Temple”. Thondaiman, a Pallava king (capital: Mahabalipuram, just south of modern day Chennai), is believed to have first built the temple after visualizing Lord Vishnu in his dream. He built the Gopuram and the Prakhara, and arranged for regular prayers to be conducted in the temple. The Sangam Literature of Tamil such as that of Silapadikaram and Satanar Manimekali dated between 500BC and 300AD, mentions Thiruvengadam (now named Tirupati) as the northernmost frontier of the Tamil kingdoms. The site was actually established during the 5th century A.D., and the Alvars (Vaishnava saints) belonging to the Bhakti movement in Tamilnadu sung in praise of Venkateswara. Its significance in Southern Vaishnavite tradition was at the time next only to that of Srirangam.

Must SeeEdit

Must See

Visiting TimeEdit

N.A.

Closed OnEdit

N.A.

Best Season to VisitEdit

September to March.

Best Time To VisitEdit

Morning, Afternoon, Evening.

Time Required for SightseeingEdit

More than 1 hour.

Ticket Required : No Edit

Individual National Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Individual Foreigner Adult Rs. : N.A.

Kids Rs. : N.A.

Still Photo Camera Rs. : N.A.

Video Camera Rs. : N.A.

Guide Required : No Edit

Approximate cost: N.A.

Dress Code (If Any) : Yes Edit

Dress Require: A woman devotee can wear saree or a chudidar with chunni, whereas a male devotee can wear dhoti or lungi with uttareeyam or kurta-pyjama. A simple shirt and trousers are also allowed, but it would be ideal if men wear dhoti and uttariyam. Other than these traditional dresses, no other outfits like bermudas, T-shirts, jeans, shorts and other Western-style dresses are permitted.

Restaurants NearbyAdd / Edit

Hyderabad House ; Yalamuri Complex,Tuda Road, Besides Vasan Eye Care, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, 517501, India ; Ph/M – 91-93967-14758; +91-877-2223324 ; Food Serve – Mughlai ; Indian.

How to ReachEdit

Taxi : Taxis are also available here.

Bus : APSRTC buses connect all towns in Andhra Pradesh with Tirupati. Tamil Nadu public transport corporation buses connect many cities in the state with Tirupati. KSRTC buses connect many cities in Karnataka with this holy city. The city has a wide network of inter state and inter city buses. Bus stops can be found all over the city from where you can catch a bus to your desired location.

Train : Tirupati Main is a major railway station and has five platforms and presently undergoing modernization. Tirupati is well connected to major cities across India especially Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, Quilon, Trivandrum and Hyderabad. It is also connected by Chennai sub-urban railways in North-western line. Renigunta junction which lies on the busy Chennai – Mumbai rail corridor, is 15 km away from Tirupati city. Tirupati is starting point of many trains including, Tirupati-H. Nizammudin AP sampark kranti express, Hari priya express, Narayanadri express, Venkadadri express, Rayalaseema express. Recently, a double decker intercity express was introduced between Tirupati and Kacheguda.

Air : Tirupati Airport is located 15 km from the city center and has flights to Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, New Delhi. Additionally the airport offers flights to Coimbatore, Kolkata, Mumbai. The closest international airport is located in Chennai, (Chennai International Airport) which is 130 km (81 mi) from Tirupati. The Tirupati airport is not yet upgraded to an International airport.

Others : By Autorickshaw : Autos can easily be hailed from the streets. However the former is more expensive as compared to the latter.

By Foot : Tirupati is comparatively a small city, just 16 km, and some of its areas can be easily explored on foot. In fact the religious temples and some other holy places can only be explored on foot.

Things to CarryEdit

Carry Extra locks for your vehicle as well as rooms.

Safety / WarningEdit

Do not Wear inappropriate clothing.
Do not Consume alcohol.
Do not Eat Meat, Egg and Fish (non-vegetarian food) Considered as Meat in Hindu religion.
Do not Wear flowers – all flowers are for the Lord only.
Do not Spit or litter or create any kind of nuisance.
Do not Carry mobile phone/camera/pager/video camera etc. while going for darshan. They are banned inside the temple (inner) sanctum.
Smoking is also not allowed in Tirumala.
Before purchasing any product confirm the price from local people.